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2018 In Review

(Continued from December 27 issue)

JULY •Three Saluda County 4-H’ers were prestented the organization’s top award,the Presidential Tray. Winners were LindsayScott, Sarah Shore and Carrie Trotter. •The Saluda County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited was recognized at the South Carolina Ducks Unlimited State Awards Gala on July 14, 2018, in Charleston, SC. The Saluda County Chapter was awarded the 2017 Top Chapter in South Carolina and the 2017 National Chapter of Excellence. •Marvin Bernstein, 103, of Saluda had a great evening Thurs., July 19. Bob Heil, “Heil Sound,” was a speaker at the Dutch Fork- Little Mountain Amateur Radio Club. He became a Ham operater at age 15 and said his love of Ham radio, the knowledge he gained from being a Ham operator and the different people that came into his life through Ham radio led him into his career as a sound engineer. He toured with The Grateful Dead, The Who, Jeff Beck & Joe Walsh to name a few. His company Heil Sound supplies sound equipment for many of today’s artists including Carrie Underwood.

AUGUST •Four Saluda County 4-H’ers won the Great American Seafood Cook-off 4-H division in New Orleans. They competed against teams from Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia and Tennessee. Making up the team were Laken Fulmer, Allie Trotter, Lindsay Scott and Ginger Wertz. While there, they got to meet cooking legend Paula Deen. •Robert Goodwin, Jr., age 29, of Maryland, pleaded guilty for his role in the home invasion in Saluda County of the owners of Tidwell Jewelers, Lynda and Danny Tidwell. Goodwin was sentenced to forty-five (45) years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections by Circuit Court Judge Eugene C. Griffith, Jr., for Burglary First Degree, Armed Robbery, two counts of Kidnapping, and Criminal Conspiracy. Goodwin committed these crimes with his nephew, Abin Lee Lowman, and two others. Goodwin has a previous Manslaughter conviction out of Maryland. Solicitor Rick Hubbard and Assistant Solicitor Sutania Fuller handled the prosecution of this case. •Sheriff John C. Perry, Saluda District One and Saluda County Council, welcomed two new Resource Officers. Lucy Phillips will be located at the Saluda Primary and Elementary school and Leslie Pinckney will be located at Hollywood Elementary. Lee Morris will be at the Saluda Middle School and Chris Crouch at the Saluda High School. •The son of Saluda County residents has assumed command of the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. Col. Erich G. Spragg is the son of Judith L. and Gerry M. Spragg Jr. of Scooter Bridge Road, Batesburg, Saluda County. Col. Spragg assumed his new duty in a change of command ceremony on Aug. 3.•Saluda County voters will go to the polls in November to decide if the county should add a one cent sales tax for capital projects. County Council, Mon., Aug. 13, gave third and final reading to an ordinance that will allow citizens to vote in a referendum that will cap the maximum to be raised by the penny tax at $9,400,000. Council Chairman Derrick Jones said a committee has decided where the money would go should the referendum pass. The projects are as follows: Saluda County Library, $125,000; Saluda County Animal Shelter, $125,000; Ridge Spring downtown revitalization and economic development, $175,000; Brooks & Roston Park bathroom rebuild, $50,000; Saluda County Detention Center, $8,439,000. •Friday, August 17th was a momentous day for the Ridge Spring and Monetta communities. Representatives, Board of Education members and local leaders came together to turn the first shovels of dirt as the new Ridge Spring-Monetta High School begins it construction. Teachers and students applauded as they were promised a new school that would be equal to any other school in Aiken County. •Some Saluda County law enforcement officers combined to make the first day of school, Mon., Aug. 20, memorable to two special Saluda Primary School students, Jase, the stepson of fallen Deputy Sheriff Dale Hallman, and Autumn, the daughter of fallen Johnston Policeman Eric Chapman. •Jim Moore announced his candidacy for re-election for Seat 4 of the Saluda School District Board of Trustees. •Zanna Mills, daughter of Christy and Glen Mills, won the senior talent, and Brylee and Cora Cooper, daughters of Leeny and Brittany Cooper, won the junior talent at the Saluda County Farm Bureau annual meeting Thurs., Aug. 16, at the Saluda Shrine Club. •Notre Dame football had Rudy. Saluda High football has Fully! Fri. night, Aug. 24. the the Tigers’ popular, long-time waterboy, ball boy, manager turned football player Fulton Winn caught a touchdown pass in the Saluda’s 55-12 win at Ridge Spring-Monetta. His teammates got a 15-yard penalty when they all rushed to the end zone to celebrate with Fulton, who has autism He was hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates when they gathered to sing the Alma Mater after the game ended. Channel 10 and Channel 12 did excllent feature on Fulton and both features were replayes across the state and country. •Saluda High School and SaludaNOW remembered two fallen law enforcement officers, Eric Chapman and Dale Hallman, at the halftime of the Fri., Aug. 31, Saluda-Mid-Carolina game. James Eric Chapman, 30, died on Friday, December 8, 2017, when his vehicle wrecked while he was responding to a call with the Johnston Police Department. Dale Shannon Hallman, 29, passed away on Friday, April 6, 2018 at Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood after being involved in a vehicle accident responding to a call with the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office.

SEPTEMBER •Saluda native CJ Lake and her finance Jon Tamasco found out Thur., Sept. 6, they had wom a free wedding given away by the USC College of Hospitality. Accoridng to the press release, Lake and Tamasco were one of many couples who submitted their story to be considered for USC’s Love Story wedding. •Michelle Curry an-nnounced her candidacy for Mayor of Saluda. •An impressive American flag dedication ceremony was held during the September meeting of the Saluda American Legion Post 65. Sisters Ann Hancock Coker and Charlyn Hanccok Staubes presented flags. Ann r presented a flag in memory of their father, a veteran of World War II. Mr. Charlie Ernest Hancock served as Staff Sargent in the U.S. Army in European Theater. He saw combat action in several campaigns including Normandy, Northern France, the Ardennes, Central Europe, and Germany. His personal decorations include the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was wounded in France in July 1944, and was captured by Nazi forces in December 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge. Her sister, Charlyn, presented a flag in memory of their brother, Marine Colonel (Retired) Don Hancock. His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with gold star in lieu of second award, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Colonel Hancock deployed to Iraq in January 2005, the Iraq War which was known as Operation Iraqi Freedom. •Saluda County Council approved the proposed county and School District One millage for FY 2018. The actual millage, which is set by the auditor and treasurer, is as follows: Saluda County - County Operating, 142.97 ; Piedmont Tech Bond, 2.10; Law Enforcement, 1.00; Public Bldg. Maint., .50; Economic Development, 1.00; Piedmont Tech. College, 3.00; Fire Board Service, 1.00. Total County Millage, 151.57. Saluda School District One - Operating, 145.87; GB #1, 27.30; GB #2, 5.30; GB #3, 4.80; GB #4, 9.60. Total School District One 192.87,‘The total county millage for FY 17-18 was 147.60, and the total Saluda School District One millage was 182.50. •Amelia Herlong announced that she will seek re-election for the office of Mayor of Saluda in the November 5, 2018, election. •The daughter of a former Saludan became Hurricane Florence’s sixth victim in S.C. when she died in a weather related vehicle accident. The Lexington County Coroner identified the victim as 30-year-old Rhonda Rebecca Hartley of Leesville, a daughter of Saluda High School graduate Joan Gaylord Singleton. Hartley was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries she received in a collision. Officials say at 6 a.m. Sunday morning, a pickup truck was traveling east on Pond Brand Road when it drove into standing water on the roadway. The vehicle lost control, went off the side of the road, and struck a tree. •Former Saluda County Sheriff Dudley Rushton has been named Saluda County’s Chief Deputy Coroner. County Council approved Coroner Keith Turner’s request for the position at the Sept. 10 meeting. •The two week term of Saluda County General Sessions Court that concluded last week cleared 52 cases.